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Edwards Church

United Church of Christ | Saxonville, Massachusetts

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Living Sanctuaries

April 13, 2017 by r.carney

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true;
with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
God empow’r me to be a witness for you, acting boldly, in your name;
seeking justice, where there is hurting, off’ring hope where there is pain.

When I was asked to do a Lenten Devotion, the lyrics above entered, no, attacked my brain. When I ponder “sanctuary,” it is a person not a place.

When I was a child and afraid, my mother was my sanctuary as I was for my children.  To be enfolded in loving arms doesn’t necessarily make the problems go away, but feeling safe and protected eases the pain.

I have had obstacles in my life journey and these obstacles have forced me to reach out to others who have or are experiencing the same. Knowing that you are not alone, knowing that someone understands what you are going through enfolds you in those loving arms figuratively or literally.

A church can be a sanctuary, but (for me) it’s the people not the building. A smile, a hug, being actually seen and accepted is where there is brave and empowering space. God is in each of us and we are the “living sanctuaries.”

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true;
with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
God empow’r me to be a witness for you,
acting boldly, in your name;
seeking justice, where there is hurting
off’ring hope, where there is pain. Amen.

Filed Under: Lenten Devotional 2017 Tagged With: devotional

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